Latest news with #DeathandRobots
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How ‘Love, Death and Robots' Season 4 Made the Ultimate Cute Little Guy
Season 4 of 'Love, Death and Robots,' Netflix's adult animated anthology, offers several delights. These include the live-action apocalyptic comedy, 'Golgotha,' from creator Tim Miller, and executive producer David Fincher's 'Can't Stop' music video, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers recreating their iconic 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland, as CG string puppets. But the biggest delight is the emotionally stirring 'Spider Rose,' helmed by series supervising director Jennifer Yuh Nelson ('Pop Squad' and 'Kill Team Kill'), which occupies the same cyberpunk universe as Season 3's 'Swarm.' Both are adapted from Bruce Sterling short stories about human survival on an asteroid mining operation dominated by competing factions: the genetically-engineered Shapers and the cybernetic Mechanists. More from IndieWire The First-Dayers of 'The Pitt' Highlight the Need for More Portrayals of Competent Young Professionals 'Arco' Review: France's Answer to Studio Ghibli Offers an Emotional Sci-Fi Epic In 'Spider Rose,' the grieving titular Mechanist (voiced by Emily O'Brien and mo-capped by Miller's Blur Studio) plots her revenge against the Shaper who murdered her husband. However, that means bartering with the large reptilian Investors, who loan her a cute alien pet she calls Nosy. It is through Nosy that she rediscovers her lost humanity. ' I love the story because of the emotions, and the idea that this woman has ruined herself in her grief and trying to find her way back has quite a steep price,' Yuh Nelson told IndieWire. 'I think that that sort of emotional journey is interesting to me, and also how to show that visually.' Although 'Spider Rose' was always on 'the writer's wall,' it never made the cut until this season, when Yuh Nelson found the right empathetic through line. But, of course, there's more than meets the eye to Nosy. He's not mischievous, like a Gremlin, but there's a definite edge to him. The trick was not overdoing it so that he still looked appealing. 'I love the design process of trying to find something that would make you feel so sympathetic to it,' said Yuh Nelson. Blur Studio provided the effective key frame character animation. But instead of opting for a typical space monkey, Yuh Nelson was drawn to something much more cuddly. 'To me, its purpose was to try and become closer to [Spider Rose],' she said. 'But we actually had designs where it was very monkey-like with long, spindly limbs, and it crossed the threshold towards creepy rather than empathetic. So I tried to push it a little bit towards bush baby because that reminds me of cuddly.' But they made Nosy multifaceted because he appears in two stages: slimy and furry. 'We looked at adorable pet frogs from Japan mixed in with French bulldogs for the first stage because they have those adorable butts and that waddle to them,' said Yuh Nelson. 'But the second stage was bush baby.' This enabled Spider Rose to become more attached to Nosy. They play games and she holds it tenderly. 'You know how certain creatures camouflage so other creatures won't eat them? In this case, it's kind of flipped,' continued Yuh Nelson. 'The idea is that creatures will do things to survive by developing these visual defense mechanisms to be more adorable.' You could say that 'Spider Rose' represents the Season 4 poster child of 'Love, Death + Robots' in the way it embodies all three parts. 'I don't know if it's an entry drug for 'LDR' because there is a lot of violence,' Yuh Nelson said. 'Usually, if people haven't seen the show before, we recommend that they watch one of the comedies first. In the case of 'Spider Rose,' there's an entire world involved. And we really wanted to make this one like a tentpole: a moment that's lush and emotional, that's gonna really reflect the level of the story.' 'Love, Death, and Robots' is streaming on Netflix. Best of IndieWire The 19 Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in May, from 'Fair Play' to 'Emily the Criminal' Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 86 Films the Director Wants You to See Christopher Nolan's Favorite Movies: 44 Films the Director Wants You to See
Tom's Guide
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
My favorite Netflix sci-fi anthology series is back — and it's not ‘Black Mirror'
If I asked you to name a Netflix original sci-fi anthology show, there's a good chance your mind would go straight to 'Black Mirror.' But for me, the top contender in this (admittedly pretty niche) area is 'Love, Death and Robots.' Debuting in 2019, the show now spans 45 episodes (with runtimes that range from merely a few minutes to around 20), so if you've yet to discover the bizarre joys of this Tim Miller-created show, you've got plenty of chapters to keep you entertained, and maybe a little disturbed. 'Love, Death and Robots' season 4 debuted earlier this week (on May 15), and it's already looking like a prime candidate for the best Netflix show you're currently not watching. While 'Black Mirror's' most recent season went straight to No. 1 last month, more than 24 hours post-launch, and 'Love, Death and Robots' (often referred to as 'LDR') has yet to even rank in the top 10. That's a real shame, because while 'Love, Death and Robot' can be characterized as uneven, a common issue with anthology series, when it's firing on all cylinders, it offers unique explorations of sci-fi, fantasy and horror, and is like nothing else on Netflix. The fourth season of the (typically) animated anthology show offers 10 new installments, and these run the gamut from surrealist comedy to chilling nightmare-fuel. This season, there's even a string puppet concert that returns director David Fincher to his music video roots. Yup, the first episode, 'Can't Stop,' is a Red Hot Chili Peppers gig with a real twist: The entire band has been transformed into string puppets, and dance around the stage like otherworldly Pinocchios. It's pretty awesome, and I'm not even a huge Chili Peppers fan. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That's just the start of the eccentric mix of shorts within 'Love, Death and Robots' season 4, another sees an alien apocalypse play out in miniature form, while one presents interviews with household appliances in the style of beloved Aardman classic 'Creature Comforts.' There's even a rare live-action outing for the series, in 'Golgotha,' a 10-minute short that sees a vicar (Rhys Darby) encounter an alien race that believes a dolphin to be their messiah. Plus, for longtime viewers, the third installment sees a return to a fan-favorite universe. Because (almost all) episodes are standalone, you can totally dive into 'Love, Death and Robots' at this junction. It's very much a series where you can pick and choose the concepts that appeal most to you, or you can make your selections based on fan episode rankings. Which isn't to say the full season isn't worth watching. While it does have its peaks and valleys (the Chili Peppers episode has proved less popular with viewers), overall, 'Love, Death and Robots' season 4 holds a perfect 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. One of my favorite things about 'Love, Death and Robots' has always been that it's the perfect palate cleanser in between longer watches. With episodes that can last only a few minutes, it's great for a quick fix of sci-fi creativity or when you have a little time to fill. If you've never seen the show, you've got plenty of worthwhile episodes to get caught up on, and for longtime fans, 'Love, Death and Robots' season 4 continues to carry the show's offbeat but compelling torch. Stream 'Love, Death and Robots' on Netflix now
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Love, Death and Robots' Season 4 Sets May Return Date, Releases First Look
'Love, Death and Robots' Season 4 is officially returning to Netflix May 15 with ten short animated stories done in varying styles. The official synopsis for this season reads: 'Dinosaur gladiators, messianic cats, string-puppet rock stars, it can only be 'Love, Death and Robots.' The fourth volume, presented by Tim Miller ('Deadpool,' 'Terminator: Dark Fate') and David Fincher ('Mindhunter,' 'The Killer'), sees Jennifer Yuh Nelson ('Kung Fu Panda 2,' 'Kill Team Kill') return as supervising director for ten startling shorts showcasing the series' signature, award-winning style of bleeding-edge animation, horror, sci-fi and humor. Buckle up.' More from Variety Rene Liu Helms Netflix Taiwanese Drama 'Forget You Not,' Teaser Unveiled 'Monopoly' Competition Series Lands at Netflix Jaume Collet-Serra to Direct Psychological Thriller 'An Innocent Girl' for Netflix (EXCLUSIVE) Since premiering in 2019, the series has gone on to win 13 Emmy Awards across 15 nominations. Most recently, it picked up its third straight nomination for best short form animated program — the same category the first two seasons won for. For Season 3's 'Jibaro,' Alberto Mielgo won the juried Emmy Award for best individual achievement in animation. The show has also garnered high-profile voice actors over the years, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel McHale, Topher Grace, John DiMaggio, Elodie Young and Chris Parnell. At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2021, Miller said: 'The way I felt is that there was not a lot of adult animation in the west, and particularly not in America, and particularly not at the budget levels that allowed for really high-end CG like what was going on at Pixar and DreamWorks for kids. And we felt it was time to do that for adults.' Watch the first official teaser below. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
